The subject invention relates a pavement cutting apparatus and method for cutting or cutting and forming grooves or joints in concrete and asphalt pavement and, in particular, to an improved pavement cutting apparatus and method which eliminates any material oblique inclination of the rotary saw blade(s) of the pavement cutting apparatus to the direction of the cut being formed (any “crabbing” of the rotary saw blade(s) of the pavement cutting apparatus) by the pavement cutting apparatus. The pavement cutting apparatus and method of the subject invention can be used for tasks such as but not limited to: forming a joint or joints in pavement, cutting a pavement so that sections of the pavement can be removed from the pavement, etc. As used herein, the term pavement includes pavement structures such as but not limited to roads, sidewalks, airport runways, industrial and commercial floors, parking lots, ramps, aprons, etc.
Current pavement cutting equipment and methods typically utilize pavement cutting apparatus wherein the rotary cutting blade of the pavement cutting equipment is: pushed through the pavement by the pavement cutting equipment to form a cut in the pavement; offset to one side of the pavement cutting equipment; and rotated about an axis that remains perpendicular to the front-to-rear centerline of the pavement cutting equipment. With this structure, the cutting of a pavement with the offset rotary saw blade of the pavement cutting equipment produces a drag on the side of the pavement cutting equipment where the offset rotary saw blade is located. If there is no compensation for this drag, the drag will cause the pavement cutting equipment to move laterally to the direction of the intended cut-line. To compensate for this rotary saw blade induced drag on one side of the pavement cutting equipment, the operator of the pavement cutting equipment must orient the pavement cutting equipment at an angle to the direction of the cut being made in the pavement with the rotary saw blade so that the pavement cutting equipment continues to move in the direction of and along an intended cut-line. Since the rotary saw blade of the pavement cutting equipment rotates about an axis that remains perpendicular to the front-to-rear centerline of the pavement cutting equipment, this orientation of the pavement cutting equipment at an angle to the direction of the intended cut-line also orients the rotary saw blade at an angle to the cut being formed in the pavement with the rotary saw blade. The oblique inclination of the rotary saw blade of the pavement cutting equipment to the cut being formed in the pavement by the rotary saw blade: places stresses on the rotary saw blade that shortens the service life of the rotary saw blade; can cause the center of the rotary saw blade to break out; and causes spalling (chipping) of the cut edges at the pavement surface which adversely affects the appearance of the cut.
Some pavement cutting equipment and methods utilize pavement cutting apparatus wherein the rotary cutting blade of the pavement cutting equipment is pushed through the pavement by the pavement cutting equipment to form a cut in the pavement and rotated about an axis that remains perpendicular to the front-to-rear centerline of the pavement cutting equipment, but wherein the rotary saw blade is located on the front-to-rear centerline of the pavement cutting equipment. However, even with this structure, when the pavement cutting equipment is forming a cut in a pavement that is inclined laterally to the intended cut-line, if there is no compensation for the lateral inclination, the pavement cutting equipment will move both in the direction of the intended cut-line and downward laterally to the direction of the intended cut-line in the direction of the pavement incline. To compensate for this potential lateral movement of the pavement cutting equipment and keep the rotary saw blade on the intended cut-line, the operator of the pavement cutting equipment must orient the pavement cutting equipment at an angle to the direction of the cut being made in the pavement with the rotary saw blade so that the pavement cutting equipment continues to move in the direction of and along an intended cut-line. Since the rotary saw blade of the pavement cutting equipment rotates about an axis that remains perpendicular to the front-to-rear centerline of the pavement cutting equipment, this orientation of the pavement cutting equipment at an angle to the direction of the intended cut-line also orients the rotary saw blade at an angle to the cut being formed in the pavement with the rotary saw blade. The oblique inclination of the rotary saw blade of the pavement cutting equipment to the cut being formed in the pavement by the rotary saw blade: places stresses on the rotary saw blade that shortens the service life of the rotary saw blade; can cause the center of the rotary saw blade to break out; and causes spalling (chipping) of the cut edges at the pavement surface which adversely affects the appearance of the cut.